


Patchwork

by Andian



Category: Maleficent (2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-09-27
Packaged: 2018-02-19 00:45:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2368019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andian/pseuds/Andian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were so much worse things in the Moors than Maleficent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patchwork

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leidolette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leidolette/gifts).



„You can feel it, can't you.”

Aurora had been acting different these days. Distracted, absent minded, nervous. First Maleficent had pinned it on Diaval's nervousness. He was a raven after all, a creature of the sky, and no matter his current more upright form, he'd always become nervous during this time of the year, just like the other the creatures of the Moors.

“What do you mean Grandmother?,” Aurora tried to smile at her -sweet little beastie, always so _considerate_ \- but failed to hide the slightly fearful look in her eyes. To her surprise Maleficent did not like that look.

“You are connected to this place. You would feel when its balance shifts,” she said instead as she stood up, careful to avoid the pixies that were flattering so fast around Aurora and her that they seemed to be just a cloud of glitter. 

“What do you mean Grandmother? Is there … is there something bad in the Moors?” Aurora called after her. Maleficent smiled softly at this. “There are many things in the Moors and not all of them are good.” Most of them actually but there was no need to worry Aurora. Maleficent's smile turned into a frown at that particular line of thought. “You do not need to think about this. But you should stay home tomorrow. Just to be sure.” There were some things that should happen without the interference of humans. This was one of them. Aurora tried to protest but one look from Maleficent made her her close her mouth and just nod as she said her goodbyes.

“You worry for her,” Diaval said as they looked after Aurora. Maleficent raised her eyebrow. “Worried that she will not live long enough for the curse to be fulfilled.” Diaval said nothing at that, just looked at her with that particular expression that would have bugged her if she hadn't gotten used to it over the years. “What will we do tomorrow?” he asked instead and Maleficent was not glad about the change of topics cause that would imply that she had been uncomfortable with the conversation. “The same thing we do every year.” she said. She didn't add, _we hide_. Back when she still had her wings she would fly during this day, as high as her wings would carry her and she'd stay up there, hidden in the clouds, away from the ground until her wings started aching and the sun had long set, moonlight returning the Moors to its usual safety and normality.

She missed those days. Even though when it had not just been the cold that had made her teeth clatter back then. She took to wandering the more unreachable parts of the Moors these days. It wasn't hiding or fleeing. Not really.

“You can fly tomorrow if you want to,” she said to Diaval who just shook his head. She offered it every year, and he always declined. A misguided sense of servitude, Maleficent thought or maybe, she felt something sharp pierce in her chest, pity. Pity for those who should have wings but couldn't fly away. Pity for those who needed to stay. The sharp thing inside her chest grew harder, heavier, burning hotly as she felt her wings suddenly aching, the phantom feeling of comforting heaviness on her back taunting her.

“You should,” she said abruptly to Diaval, suddenly wanting to be mean, to hurt as much as her wings were hurting her at the moment. “I intend to stay tomorrow.” It was dumb and it was impulsive but it was worth it for the bitter satisfaction Maleficent felt as she saw his eyes widen with fear.

“You can't, it would take your...!” “My what,” she interrupted harshly. “And even if it wasn't like this, I am the queen of the Moors.”

She looked around, feeling the Moors falling silent as the morning slowly started approaching, a day dawning that was filled with the promise of blood and pain for those not quick enough to hide from it. She could taste it in the air, the fevery anticipation as the whole of the Moors seemed to collectively hold its breath, the sharp smell of lingering fear being carried through the air. If the Moor had a heartbeat, at this moment it would start racing, pumping blood through a body preparing itself to either flee or fight for its life. As it was the magic that lied inside the Moors seemed to shiver and shake nervously.

“I do not fear anything.” Maleficent said loudly. She turned towards Diaval. “You will fly.” she said, her tone leaving no place for protest. He did try, naturally. “I can't just leave you!” “But you will. This is an order.” Her magic flew out of her fingers, twisting green circles that tore away skin and replaced it with feathers so quickly Diaval had no other chance to react. “And now,” she said, leaning slightly down to the bird below her, staring up at her with a particular defiant look “You will fly.” Diaval shrieked as the gust of wind hit him, carrying him high up in the air. For a moment he tried to fight against it, tried to come down back to Maleficent but it proved useless. With one last warning shriek the wind carried him far away from the Moors.

Maleficent sat down and tried to ignore the small voice in her head -sounding suspiciously like Aurora- that told her that Diaval was just worried about her. “I do not need anybody to worry about me.” she said into the silence of the Moors. Nobody answered, the creatures that would usually wake up during this time of the day being too fearful today. Maleficent tried not to dwell on the feeling of loneliness that suddenly came over her. She didn't need anybody. Not even today.

Determined she sat down again and watched as the sun slowly started rising. It took some time until she could finally see it, the walls of thorns hiding most of the sun until it had reached a certain spot, painting patterns with shadows before that. Maleficent listened silently to her surroundings, the sometimes sound of a winged creature flying away quickly and the soft rustling of grass as someone tried to hide. It was eery, the silence that had taken over, not even a bird singing in the trees. Everything that had wings had flown away, and everything that didn't had hidden, hoping that there'd be something left with wings so it wouldn't be one of them in the end.

The sun had almost reached its zenith when the smell came. Foul, like meat rotting in the sun and Maleficent felt her shoulders tense. The smell grew stronger and stronger and then the sound came too. She had heard it only once before, when she was young and daring and stupid and had flown closer to the ground, curiosity winning over instinctive fear. It was the sound of water sloshing around, water trapped in a case, occasionally spilling out. Maleficent stood still as the sound, just like the smell, became more insistent, intrusive, _closer_. 

Something inside of her fluttered nervously. Then the noise of sloshing suddenly stopped. For a moment there was silence before Maleficent slowly turned around and saw _it_ standing between the trees, staring at her.

It was hideous. She almost screamed when she saw it, but she caught herself in time and instead concentrated on just looking at it. There was a mass of skin and fur and feathers, baggy and in weird combinations, put on limbs and body parts that seemed to follow no particular logic or sense. A thin blue arm had been put next to a leave-dragon's foot on something that was either a shoulder or a knee with three eyes of different color and size somehow being fixed into it. It was covered with a patchwork rug of skin and fur, none of it matching and as Maleficent looked closer she could see the uneven edges where magic was holding together this grotesque compilation. Three eyes of pixies, none anywhere near the the two bumps of which one might have been a head, lazily blinked at her. Maleficent felt something twist inside of her as a feet was used to slowly move one of the eyes a bit to the right, the rest of the body shifting at the process, as muddy water came flowing out of the hole where the eye had been before. The creature pressed the eye somewhere on its middle part and Maleficent watched horrified as it started reaching for other eyes to put there. Her eyes wandered up, following the movement of a jaw being used to grab them.

Then she noticed the wings. There were the only part that actually resembled an existing body part and it was probably what made them even more terrifying. They were gigantic, shimmering in all the colors of the rainbow, feathers of all different kind of creatures having been put there. Maleficent felt a sudden wave of sickness over here as she spotted the blackness of raven feathers. And then she saw feathers that were too big for any creature of the Moors, feathers that were brittle with age, but carefully kept, no lumps of flesh where they had been torn out like with the other parts and she felt sick, sick like she hasn't felt before, not since the day, not since that one day.

A sound like water being pressed through a small opening tore her out of her thoughts and she looked away from the wings and back at the creatures. It has raised an, Maleficent supposed it could be called arm in this context, arm, fingers to thick for the hand they were sticking in, and slowly flexed until one was pointing at her. Then with the same slow movements it pointed at itself and then to its wings. It repeated the process a few times and suddenly Maleficent realized.

“No!”, she didn't scream. She did not. “No! I'm not … I'm not like _you_.” She could feel the anger rise in her, mixed with ugly fear and loathing for this horrid thing in front of her. The creature just looked at her and Maleficent realized that it had moved its eyes to form a wide grin. Then it slowly reached for its wings and tore out a single of the giant feathers and put it on the ground in Maleficent's direction. She stumbled back. “I'm not,” but the creature had started moving away from her already, the sound of sloshing water being hold together by rotting flesh slowly fading away.

Maleficent could feel her knees shaking and she feel down, sudden exhaustion coming over here. She drew in air, her breath loud and shaky until her head stopped spinning and her heart stopped racing. The sky over her had changed when she had finally calmed down enough, the sun almost having made way for the evening, and she stood up, still somewhat shakily. On the other side she could see the feather, still lying on the ground, the wind moving it slightly.

If she didn't take it it would be blown away she suddenly realized. And then it would be gone. Gone forever just like... just like the other ones. She stared at it as the sun started setting and the sound of the Moors slowly returning, transfixed to the spot by it.

“I'm not like that.” she mumbled. And without another look at the feather she turned around and walked away.


End file.
